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content/bible_journal/galatians_6:11-18.md

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+title = "Galatians 6:11–18"
+date = "2023-08-24"
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+
+### [Read the passage.](https://biblia.com/bible/esv/Galatians6.11-18)
+
+In a at least one of Paul's letters, the secretary who took Paul's dictation
+inserted himself into the letter to send his own greetings to the church. More
+often, though, we see evidence that Paul pens his own conclusions to the
+letters. To the Galatians, he tells us that we could see the large letters that
+he wrote, if we had his original manuscript. (Now I wonder if any scribe tried
+to capture this style when they copied the manuscript.) I can think of a couple
+of good reasons why he would do this. In chapter 4, he mentioned that the
+Galatians would have given him their eyes if they could, which implies that
+there was something wrong with his own eyes. Perhaps his eyesight was poor or
+became so, and the Galatians could see these large letters and know for sure he
+wrote them.
+
+Another possibility is that Paul really wants to draw attention to what he's
+about to say. In the very next sentence he exposes the true motivations of the
+ones trying to force the Galatians to become Jews. During the middle of the
+first century, there was a movement of extreme Jewish nationalism. It's
+adherents chafed mightily under Roman rule and were concerned about the
+Hellenization encroaching on their way of life. They rebelled and agitated
+enough that Rome eventually sent an army that sacked Jerusalem and completely
+destroyed the temple in <span style="font-variant-caps:
+small-caps">a.d.</style> 70. Before then, these nationalists would be opposed
+to the church welcoming Gentiles into its number, so Paul says the Judaizer
+party is trying to make the Gentile believers into Jews in order to appease the
+nationalists.
+
+Paul reiterates that circumcision in itself does not affect one's status. Even
+those who trust in it can not keep the whole law. Instead, what counts is what
+Christ has done on the cross and what He works through us because of that.
+Nothing else matters in this world or the next, so let us make much of Him.
+
+* * *
+
+Your grace is more amazing than we can comprehend, and we are able to worship
+You because of it.